New staff wellbeing laws will help health workers

The amendments to the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 will make Hospital and Health Services (HHS) and their boards responsible for staff wellbeing and for promoting a culture that supports health, safety and wellbeing.

“AMA Queensland has advocated strongly for these changes, which are similar to laws introduced in South Australia,” AMA Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton said.

“Health Minister Yvette D’Ath flagged her intention to introduce these amendments at last month’s Health Workforce Mental Health and Wellbeing Summit, which was held as a result of AMA Queensland advocacy.

“We are heartened by these positive actions to look after our health workforce, particularly their emotional wellbeing and cultural safety. These changes acknowledge that their work can pose unique risks to their wellbeing.

“Our healthcare workers are on the front line, dealing with people who are unwell, infectious, distressed and upset, particularly during the pandemic.

“Making HHS boards directly accountable for their staff’s health and wellbeing is an important step toward creating healthy and supportive work environments so our doctors, nurses and allied health practitioners can continue to deliver high-quality healthcare.”

AMA Queensland is also pleased to see amendments to the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 to protect health practitioners’ rights to natural justice.

Under the amendments, Queensland Health will still be able to disclose information about administrative action taken against persons who have dealt with medicines and poisons in an inappropriate way, but it will no longer publish the register on its website.

“These amendments are a direct result of advocacy by AMA Queensland to protect health practitioners’ rights to natural justice,” Dr Boulton said.

“These changes will protect doctors, nurses, pharmacists and all allied health practitioners from being unfairly named for simple mistakes.

“In addition to these amendments and as a result of concerns raised by AMA Queensland, Queensland Health officers authorised to disclose information from registers will be provided with guidance and training on applying the public interest test.

“These changes are welcome. We only wish the Queensland Parliament had applied the same sensible consideration before changing the National Law to allow Ahpra and Medical Boards to name and shame doctors under investigation who may be innocent of any wrongdoing.”